The present invention relates to digital video systems, and more particularly, to systems for reducing the required data rate without sacrificing picture quality.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 132,137, filed Mar. 20, 1980, entitled "DATA RATE REDUCTION FOR DIGITAL VIDEO SIGNALS BY SUBSAMPLING AND ADAPTIVE RECONSTRUCTION", filed in the name of the present inventors, describes a method of data rate reduction for digital video systems by deleting, i.e., not transmitting, every other picture sample, and transmitting in place of the deleted samples, a set of "steering" or control bits which enable the deleted samples to be reconstructed from the nondeleted (transmitted) samples. In particular, the steering or control bits contain information as to which of the average of pairs of undeleted samples surrounding the deleted sample is a closest match to the deleted sample. Thus, at the receiver the average of the pair that is a closest match to the deleted sample is substituted for the deleted sample. The invention contemplates a video signal including a plurality of component signals, such as red, blue and green color components of a television signal. A system according to the aforementioned application when used with a plural channel system having multiple signal components will require a lower data rate than a conventional system; however, distinct sets of steering bits would be required for all channels to reconstruct the deleted samples in each channel.
It is therefore desirable to reduce still further the required data rate and amount of hardware needed.